Misakiewicz Top Qualifier For Features

ST. PETERSBURG — Colorado's Rick Miaskiewicz posted the fastest time in two days on this track Saturday and won the Can-Am pole in qualifying.

His fastest lap in 17 tries was clocked at 1 minute 20.428 seconds. Lue Sell of Kealakekua, Hawaii, ran a 1:21.108 for second.

Miaskiewicz is racing on streets for the first time. Going into today's final, which is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., he leads the SCCA Can-Am Series by 10 points over Ontario's Horst Kroll. A fifth-place finish or better clinches the title for Miaskiewicz.

''I felt like I should have been going a little faster,'' Miaskiewicz said. The ''Willy and Wally'' show continued Saturday, with Willy T. Ribbs sewing up the pole for today's SCCA Bendix Brake Trans-Am Championship Race, slated for 3:15 p.m. Ribbs edged 1985 series champion Wally Dallenbach Jr. for the No. 1 slot by .32 seconds. Ribbs, of San Jose, Calif., ran one of his 25 laps in 1:25.10.